Planning a Trip

Getting There & Departing

By Plane -- Aviacsa (tel. 961/612-6880 or -8081; www.aviacsa.com) can get you to several cities in Mexico, but all flights go through Mexico City -- even flights to Cancún, Chetumal, Mérida, Guatemala City, Villahermosa, and Oaxaca. Click, a subsidiary of Mexicana (tel. 01-800/122-5425 or 961/612-5402; www.clickmx.com), has nonstop flights to and from Mexico City.

Tuxtla has two airports: Terán and Llano San Juan. The airlines go back and forth with them depending on the season. Be sure to double-check which airport you're departing from, and allow enough time to get there. The Terán airport is 8km (5 miles) from town; the Llano San Juan airport is 18km (11 miles). There is taxi and minivan service from both airports.

By Car -- From Oaxaca, you'll enter Tuxtla by Highway 190. From Villahermosa, or Palenque and San Cristóbal, you'll enter at the opposite end of town on the same highway from the east. In both cases, you'll arrive at the large main square at the center of town, La Plaza Cívica.

From Tuxtla to Villahermosa, take Highway 190 east past the town of Chiapa de Corzo; soon you'll see a sign for Highway 195 north to Villahermosa. To San Cristóbal and Palenque, take Highway 190 east. The road is beautiful but tortuous. It's in good repair to San Cristóbal, but there may be bad spots between San Cristóbal and Palenque. The trip from Tuxtla to Villahermosa takes 8 hours by car; the scenery is beautiful.

By Bus -- The first-class bus station (tel. 961/612-2624) is at the corner of calles 2 Norte and 2 Poniente. All bus lines serving this station and the deluxe section across the street (Uno, Maya de Oro, Cristóbal Colón, Servicios Altos) belong to the same parent company, ADO. The main station sells tickets for all buses. All buses are air-conditioned and have bathrooms. There are two levels of first class; the first-class económico has less legroom. Then there's deluxe, which features a few extras: slightly better seats, better movies, and free coffee and soda. There are buses every half-hour to San Cristóbal, eight buses a day to Villahermosa, three or four buses a day to Oaxaca, and five to Palenque. There's usually no need to buy a ticket ahead of time, except during holidays.

Arriving -- The Llano San Juan airport is off Highway 190 west of town, about 40 minutes away; the Terán airport is off the same highway going east of town, about 15 minutes away. A colectivo (minivan) is much cheaper than a taxi if you can find one; they leave as soon as they are full. The ADO/Cristóbal Colón bus terminal is downtown.

Visitor Information

The Tourist Office (tel. 01-800/280-3500 in Mexico, or 961/613-4499) is in the Secretaría de Fomento Económico building, formerly the Plaza de las Instituciones, on Avenida Central/Bulevar Domínguez, near the Hotel Bonampak Tuxtla. It's on the first floor of the plaza and is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 9pm. The staff at the information booth in front of the office can answer most questions. There are also information booths at the international airport (staffed when flights are due) and at the zoo (Tues-Sun 9am-3pm and 6-9pm).

City Layout

Tuxtla is laid out on a grid. The main street, Avenida Central, is the east-west axis and is the artery through town for Highway 190. West of the central district it's called Bulevar Belisario Domínguez, and in the east it's Bulevar Angel Albino Corzo. Calle Central is the north-south axis. The rest of the streets have names that include one number and two directions. This tells you how to get to the street. For example, to find the street 5 Norte Poniente (5 North West), you walk 5 blocks north from the center of town and turn west (which is left). To find 3 Oriente Sur, you walk 3 blocks east from the main square and turn south. When people indicate intersections, they can shorten the names because it's redundant. The bus station is at the corner of 2 Norte and 2 Poniente.

Getting Around

Buses to all parts of the city converge upon the Plaza Cívica along Calle Central. Taxi fares are higher here than in other regions.

Fast Facts

The local American Express representative is Viajes Marabasco, Plaza Bonampak, Loc. 4, Col. Moctezuma, near the tourist office (tel. 961/612-6998; fax 961/612-4053). Office hours are Monday to Friday from 9am to 1:30pm and 3:30 to 6:30pm. The telephone area code is 961. If you need medical help, the best clinic in town is Sanatorio Rojas, Calle 2 Sur Poniente 1847 (tel. 961/611-2079 or 612-5414).